The issue with jobs in Nigeria is truly like we’re sitting on a time bomb. Reports reaching us is that about 1.2 million applicants are presently competing to clinch 1,112 job openings to be filled by the Nigeria Immigration Service.

Reporters had on recently reported that the Service is recruiting 1,112 officers in its ongoing recruitment drive, according to its Comptroller General, Muhammad Babandede.

Speaking in an exclusive chat with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, the Immigration boss said the service has received 1.2 million applications through its portal.

The ongoing recruitment exercise, which was announced in May 2017, is for three cadres of Assistant Superintendent of Immigration (II), Immigration Assistant (III) and Assistant Inspector of Immigration.

The Immigration comptroller general said the current recruitment drive is meant to fill the shortfall of slots left after the service had absorbed 888 of 2,000 officers engaged in May 2015.

Mr. Babandede said the computerised application system will prune down the number of applicants based on unmet criteria.

He said all those who have not met age or educational qualifications for the applied posts will be automatically disqualified by the system.

The recruitment exercise is the first since 2014 when a similar exercise was mired by controversy following a stampede that killed many applicants, including seven in Abuja. capital.

Mr. Babandede said the Service has learnt many lessons from the exercise conducted in 2014, where a number of applicants died, saying plans have been put in place to provide for a smooth process, by doing the screening and interviews in batches.

The Immigration boss also vowed not to favour any applicant in the competitive process, saying he will resist any attempt to influence the process by anybody.

“Everybody would have to go through the process. Nobody is going to influence anything,” he said.